海角直播

Support for sports students from international netball duo

A professional netball duo has been recruited to provide top-class coaching for 海角直播鈥檚 netball team and support for students excelling in sport.

Tuaine Keenan and Brie Grierson both play for Leeds Rhinos in the UK鈥檚 top-level elite netball league competition Netball Superleague, which includes teams from across England, Wales and Scotland. Tuaine, who is from New Zealand, and Brie, from Leeds, will support the University鈥檚 海角直播 Sport colleagues and Students鈥� Union in coaching the University鈥檚 netball team, which plays in BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) competitions.

They both already have local links through playing for Grangetown Netball, which has teams of all age groups competing in various leagues, including the England Netball Premier League.

Both will also coach netball teams at Billingham鈥檚 Bede Sixth Form College as part of a three-way partnership, helping to establish an education pathway to top class netball coaching and support. The college鈥檚 Institute for Sport & Education (ISE) already has a number of successful sporting academies, including men and women鈥檚 football, rugby and basketball.

Tuaine, a former New Zealand netball international, said: 鈥淚鈥檓 very excited to be involved with 海角直播 and working with the student athletes within the netball programme.

鈥淗aving played and coached in the region for many years, I am excited about the opportunity to foster and encourage the talent of all netball athletes at 海角直播 and create a competitive environment where they can all thrive.鈥�

Brie, who is currently involved with the England team, said: 鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about working with 海角直播 and Bede Sixth Form College. The hope is to create a pathway for girls to enjoy and play their netball in the region where they are from. I know for myself it was great to not have to leave the region to enjoy competitive netball.鈥�

The aim of the partnership is to create a pathway for talented netballers to progress to the highest level in their sport whilst also excelling in further and higher education.

There will also be placement opportunities for the University鈥檚 sport and exercise science students to support Grangetown Netball players鈥� physical development through sports therapy and strength and conditioning support.

Professor Mark Simpson, the University鈥檚 Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching), said: 鈥淲e're delighted to have committed to a netball programme with Bede Sixth Form and Grangetown Netball. This is a unique opportunity for our students to be coached by elite netball players and create a sport and education pathway to higher education.鈥�

Sports scientist Dr Matthew Wright, who works alongside the 海角直播 Sport sports development team, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 really exciting news that Tuaine and Brie will be working with us.

鈥淓stablishing these links will not only help to strengthen the university netball鈥檚 team progress in the BUCS leagues, it will also help promising netball players explore opportunities to play for Grangetown and help to retain netball talent in the region through creation of an education pathway.鈥�

Ben Robinson, Bede Sixth Form College Principal, said: 鈥淭his is fantastic for netball in the region. Through transformational partnership working with 海角直播, the support of England Netball and Grangetown Netball Club we can now provide another high performing sports academy at the college within the Institute of Sport and Education (ISE). Players will get the highest standard of athlete support and development with a dual career focus throughout. Our academy programmes are about providing real pathways of development and this collaboration does just that.鈥�

Gel Williams, Head Coach, Grangetown Netball, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have these links with the University. It will help to keep talented netball teams competing for teams locally and help to encourage more participation and interest in the sport.鈥�